HTC 7 Trophy

It's taken them a while - seven months since it first arrived on the market, in fact - but Verizon Wireless is finally ready to offer the HTC Trophy. The first Windows Phone 7 device on the carrier's network, the Trophy is the same 1GHz, 3.8-inch WVGA smartphone as we reviewed all those months ago, though now with World Phone functionality to play nicely with Verizon's CDMA network and GSM/HSPA roaming outside the US.

Microsoft has confirmed that color banding and resolution issues HTC HD7 and HTC Trophy owners experienced after installing the recent Windows Phone 7 NoDo update was intentionally provoked, blaming HTC for stepping outside of the strict specification rules for the platform. According to a Microsoft support team member, HTC granted the two smartphones 32-bit color depth support, and NoDo switched that to the mandated 16-bit; in the process it triggered visual glitchiness and banding, a side-effect that Microsoft reckons users shouldn't actually see.

Verizon may well be the last big US carrier to have a Windows Phone device on the market, but going by the latest set of leaked HTC Trophy photos their version may have some advantages over Sprint's HTC Arrive. WPCentral scored some shots confirming what we've suspected since the tail-end of last year, that the Verizon Trophy will be a so-called World phone with both CDMA and GSM connectivity.

Verizon hasn't officially announced what its first Windows Phone 7 device will be, nor when it might arrive, but if you were hoping for a brand spanking new smartphone running the Microsoft OS then you'll be sorely disappointed. A shot of a Verizon-branded HTC 7 Trophy has leaked to Engadget, seemingly confirming earlier rumors that the entry-level smartphone would be headed to the CDMA carrier.

CDMA carriers Verizon and Sprint have been left out in the cold when it comes to Windows Phone 7 so far, but all that's apparently set to change in January 2011. While so far both networks have only confirmed that WP7 devices are headed their way sometime in the new year, a Neowin source has tipped a January release for each.

First lets talk about the amount of mobile ad impressions (the amount of times ads appear in applications) that Apple's iOS and Google's Android have: guess what? They're tied. That's wild. Next, Pontiflex CEO Zephrin Lasker says Android is "more important" than iPhone for mobile advertising. Then, no less a name than Steve Wozniak (aka the wonderful wizard of Woz) bets on Android to win the smartphone wars. Looks like a pretty good day ramping up here for Android, yes?

The HTC 7 Trophy has been positioned as the most affordable of HTC's line-up of Windows Phone 7 devices, despite slotting in-between the HTC 7 Mozart and HTC HD7 in terms of size. Microsoft's strict rules on minimum hardware specifications should mean you're not giving up much in the way of performance, too, so is this the budget Windows Phone 7 device to go for? Check out the full SlashGear review after the cut.

As you may well know, at any given point in the day, it's late enough in the day that it's already a completely different day on the other side of the world. Right now, it's October 21st in New Zealand, which can mean one one thing: there's a dude who has seen Lord of the Rings more than 50 times, and now he is able to purchase a Windows phone 7 handset. He is so very happy about this, and the people selling it to him seem joyous as well.

Windows Phone 7 devices aren't showing up on carriers in Europe until October 21st (and November 7th for North America) but that hasn't stopped preorders for unlocked, SIM-free devices from beginning to sprout. Amazon UK and Expansys have both listed the HTC 7 Trophy for £429.99 (with delivery expected on or around November 8th), but that's not the only one so far.

Continuing on our hands on treatments of the just-announced plethora of Windows Phone 7 devices, the HTC 7 Trophy lines up to get handled and photographed. The moment we picked up the device, we were immediately reminded of the HTC Desire. Even the battery cover feels directly inspired by the previously released Desire, featuring the same method of removal, and the same texture. Not that that's a bad thing, especially considering HTC manufactured both handsets. But, the Trophy does feature a (very) small increase in screen size, with its 3.8-inch display.

Vodafone UK has just confirmed pricing to us for its two exclusive Windows Phone 7 devices, the HTC 7 Trophy and the LG Optimus 7, which will arrive in the UK on October 21st. The Vodafone HTC 7 Trophy will be the cheaper of the two, with the handset free on a new, two-year agreement priced at £25 per month.